The Marauders and the First War
by The Favorite02
Summary: Before Harry Potter, another war was breaming in Hogwarts. Can our the students work together to keep everyone safe, despite their differences? And will this bringing some of our students together? With the prophesy looming overhead, they best or no one will be safe. James/Lily, Sirius/Marlene, Frank/Alice, Remus/Dorcus
1. Chapter 1

"Are you...crying?" the woman said coldly, in disbelief. She reached for Sirius, who jerked away from her touch as if being burned. He quickly swiped at his face to keep from another tear from falling. His throat had a huge lump in it that he tried to swallow and a headache was beginning to form behind his eyes from keeping the tears from flowing.

"Get out." he said calmly, not bothering to turn around. His mother raised a hand to Sirius, which he quickly grabbed and put it back to her side. "I said, get out!"

His mother clenched the wand in her pocket, but couldn't get it out before Sirius stood up, his full height overpowering his mother. His was snarling, his handsome features twisted into something monster like, maybe his only defence against the monster who had taught him. His was was laying on his bedside table, which was much too far away to grab, but he didn't really need it. His mother, who wasn't able to physically overpower Sirius, left with a huff.

Sirius locked his door quickly and turned on the muggle music he knew that his parents hated loud enough that the neighbors could probably hear it. And then he threw everything he thought he might need into his hogwarts case. Any robes, books, scarves found their way into his case, stuffed unceremoniously.

Then he apparated, where he didn't know, just away. Anything would be better than his house with the endless screeching and screams and the cold that seemed to soak through to his bones.

He found himself in the Leaky Cauldron, most of the tables empty due to the time being so late. The fire was on in the corner, and he gravitated towards it, wanting to feel the warmth spread all over his body. Fire brought healing, it saved him from himself and reminded him of his days at hogwarts where he'd spend late nights with his friends in the Gryffindor common room which the fire keeping them warm. Until Christmas break was over, this was the closest he could get to that feeling of carefreeness.

Then something dropped and broke, causing Sirius to duck and cover his head out of habit.

"Of my gosh, I'm so sorry. I'm such a klutz. I just didn't expect anyone to be here so late." She rushed over to Sirius, forgetting about whatever she had dropped, and took a seat beside him. "What are you doing here anyways?" Her eyes were warm, just like the fire.

Sirius didn't feel like sharing the details with Alice, nice as she may be. She was friends with Evans and the McKinnon girl, and they were the last people he wanted to know about his predicament. "I'm gonna need a room until Christmas break ends," was all Sirius offered to Alice.

"Of course. I'll get you a key real quick." She hurried to go back behind the little desk and fish a key out from some drawer. Alice set it on the desk for Sirius to grab whenever he wanted and then started to clean up what looked like a broken plate that she had dropped before. "Are you and Potter fighting or something? I figured you'd go there before you would come here to stay."

Sirius looked at her coldly, not much caring for this new topic of conversation. Although Sirius briefly wondered the same thing, why would he end up at the Cauldron when James' home was a much more likely option? "Didn't want to bother him, 'suppose." He shrugged the thought off.

Alice looked unimpressed, but quickly continued to clean up the mess she had made. "Well, I need to lock up to go home. But you're welcome to stay by the fire as long as you feel like it." She put all of her work clothes and other items into a cupboard and started out the door. "See you in the morning Sirius. And merry Christmas!"

Suddenly the room around him felt slightly colder again and lonelier. Every move he made seemed to echo throughout the room, wanting to alert the people upstairs sleeping of his presence. He grabbed the key left on the counter by Alice and found his way up to the very last room in the hall, they were probably busy because of the holidays.

His bones seemed to go limp, making his crash down face first onto the bed. It was if he hadn't slept in days, which he supposed he hadn't really, as he'd always been half asleep and half awake in anticipation of his mother or father. He didn't really seem to sleep unless he was away from school. It was really very terrible for his undereye circles actually.

The next morning he startled awake, the sun already rising. The telltale sign of his mother's steps coming towards his room. Sirius gripped his blankets closely to his chest, like a child. Then a knock on his door.

"Black?" It wasn't the cold voice of his mother. If anything, it was more annoyed. And definitely more girly, which wasn't hard as he mother was rather brutish. His first guess was that the girl was Alice. "Alice told me to bring some breakfast up to your room. So if you'd kindly open the door…"

Sirius looked down at himself, and seeing as he was only wear his underwear, he quickly decided to wrap his blanket around himself to get the door. He was met with McKinnon standing with a tray in her hands and and her hip jutted out to the side. Her blond curls were put into a bun on the top of her head, some pieces hanging out. She wore a leather jacket, much too big for her, and Sirius thought it must have been some boy's.

"If you'd stop staring I'd bring your food in." Sirius moved to the side to let her in. "And put on some clothes. I'm not interested in a quick shag like the girls you probably bring here for the night. I'm assuming last night's adventure is hiding in the bathroom. Or maybe under the bed? Don't worry, I won't look."

"What are you doing here McKinnon." Sirius sighed, closing the door to look through his suitcase for some pyjama pants. He'd lost the blanket by now, but Marlene didn't care, she was sat on the bed now, looking at her nails.

"I already told you. Alice sent me up here to bring you food and check up on you. She said something about you looking a bit sad last night." She didn't seem to care all that much that Sirius had felt sad the night before, though Sirius supposed that was expected considering all of the mean things he had done to her in the past, like turn her beautiful hair purple and green for a whole month.

"I didn't realize that you worked here too." Sirius commented, wand in his mouth as he continued to search.

"I don't. Alice just likes to use me as her own personal house elf." Marlene rolled her eyes, returning her gaze to Sirius as he put on a pair of pajama pants that he had found. "Took you long enough."

"Well, I'm not sad, McKinnon. You're welcome to leave now." Sirius said, gesturing to the door.

Marlene's expression changed at this point. "I know something's wrong Sirius. I know that look far too well." Sirius raised his eyebrows at her expectantly. "Oh, don't give me that look. I just know what it's like to be part of a family that doesn't really feel like family is all. Potter has it easy." She stood to walk away, but Sirius reached an arm out to keep her from walking out the door.

"You know, I think there's food enough for two here." he said.

Marlene gave a small smile, and sat with Sirius on the bed as they shared his food in relative silence.

Thank you so much for reading! If you liked it, please tell me some way or another. It'll help me upload ;).


	2. Definitely not Love Letters

**James**

James wrote two letters to Sirius Christmas day, both asking if Sirius would like to come over to his house to celebrate, but he never got an answer in return. He started to get worried, but knew that he couldn't go to his parents house to find out, that would make things worse if something bad had been happening there. He would have to wait until Sirius answered by himself.

So instead of worrying about it, he started crafting a letter to the love of his life. At least, she would be if she ever got off her high horse and decided to give him a chance. He hoped that this year, his last year, would finally be the year that he got her to come around to one date, but as the years went on it began to feel less and less likely.

Dear Lily Flower,

The light of your life has written you again (do try to calm down dear, you'll have an aneurysm. I know it's exciting for you to get mail from me, but one must be careful these days.) I wanted to wish you a very merry Christmas. I figured that your parents have gotten you something great for the holidays, although nothing is worthy of you.

I do wish that you'd actually respond to my letter this time, a real response, not some cursed letter like last time. It's beginning to feel as though you're not madly in love with me, which you must be.

Do be safe, I know sometimes it doesn't seem like it, but I'd be devastated if something were to happen to you. Do reply so that I know you're safe, even if it's a cursed letter. Or a howler.

Love,

James

 **Lily**

Lily had a few of her friends over; Marlene, Alice, Mary, and Dorcus, all of which had already given each other their Christmas presents and they had made hot cocoa to drink while they sat and talked in Lily's room. That is, until an owl interrupted them.

Lily recognized it immediately, as did Marlene who had a huge smirk on her face as she watch Lily let the owl inside. The owl let Lily take the letter off that was tied to his foot and then flew to Lily's owl's cage to take a drink of some water and get ready for the journey back.

"Are you and James sending each other love letter and we didn't know about it?" Marlene asked with a smirk.

Lily whacked her head with the letter, though she did sit back down and begin to open it. She was after all very curious as to what the letter said this time. And she was beginning to enjoy thinking of snarky things to say back to him. "They're not love letters, Marls. He won't stop sending the bleedin letters to me. It's driving me mad."

"You don't seem to be throwing the letter out though." Dorcus commented. " Are you starting to like him, Lils?"

"Of course not!" Lily's face turned hot red, like her hair. "I just enjoy watching him make a fool of himself."

"Or maybe you just enjoy watching him." Dorcus smirked, ducking to keep from getting hit just as Marlene had.

"Well, read it to us." Mary told her. She tried to sneak a peek at what it said, but Lily clutched it to her chest before Mary could get a good look at it. "He has rather girlish handwriting, doesn't he?"

While Lily was distracted laughing at Mary, Dorcus snatched the letter out of Lily's hands and started running. Lily stood and chased after her, until Dorcus was trapped. She screamed for assistance, and Marlene ran behind Lily, ready to catch the letter. When she had caught it, she started running, reading the letter aloud as she did.

"You're a nuisance!" Lily shouted at her. "I have boy dirt on you too, you know."

Marlene froze in her spot, but Dorcus, who was right behind Lily, said "So you admit that he constitutes as 'boy drama'?"

Lily turned around to face her, eyes wide open in shock. "I obviously didn't mean it like that, Dorcus."

"Listen to this!" Mary said, leaning over Marlene's shoulder. "'Do be safe, I know sometimes it doesn't seem like it, but I'd be devastated if something were to happen to you. Do reply so that I know you're safe' Isn't that so sweet!"

Lily snatched the letter back out of Marlene's hand and read it for herself, blushing a little as she did. Then she put it safely into her back pocket. "Even if I did like him, I don't have time to have a boyfriend. I have to start working on school stuff if I want to be an auror. And with the war, I can't risk my life to be with him."

"I think a nice hunk of man like him would pretty handy in that case actually." Dorcus pointed out. "He's the best in DADA."

"And he's a good kisser." Marlene added. When everyone looked at her she held her hands up, her voice going a bit high pitched. "That's just what I've heard! I would _never_ kiss Potter."

"You have to reply Lily. James just wants to make sure your safe, and with the war going on, that makes since. He doesn't seem to mean any harm by it." Mary said, leading the girl back up to her room.

"If I reply to Potter, then he's just going to think that I actually like him and then he's going to write me even more. That's the last thing that I want." Lily told her, sitting down exhaustively at her desk.

Once the rest of the girls had left, she broke the promise she had made to herself. She grabbed a quill and a paper and began to write, slowly at first as she was unsure of herself, and then faster as she went on.

Dear Potter,

I am safe, though I wish that you'd stop sending me letters. My friends seem to think that something is going on between us. If anything, I'd want us to only be friends.

Lily

 **James**

When the owl returned, this time with a letter attached to it, James got his hopes up. He rushed to open the letter, fumbling to untie it from the bird and to read it for himself. But when he actually had finished, his heart sank a little. Although he supposed that she was right. Whatever she wanted, he would do, and it would be far better to be her friend than nothing more.

He began to write her back.

Dear Lily,

Whatever you want.

Your friend,

James


End file.
